Aircraft torque control device

Abstract

An electronic aircraft control system and an electronic aircraft control method are provided. In some embodiments, the aircraft control system includes a motor including a rotating shaft, a lever including an axis of rotation, the lever connected to the rotating shaft, wherein the position of the lever is not maintained by a mechanical clutch during normal operations. In some embodiments, the aircraft control system includes a fail-safe system for maintaining mechanical friction of the lever in an event of a failure, a sensor identifying a position of the lever, and a transmitter transmitting the lever position to a controller, the controller adjusting an aircraft performance device based on the received lever position. In some embodiments, the motor provides a torque on the lever. In some embodiments, the fail-safe system includes shear pins configured to break when a sufficient amount of manual torque is applied to the lever.

We claim: 
     
       1. An aircraft control system comprising:
 a motor comprising a rotating shaft; 
 a lever comprising an axis of rotation, the lever connected to the rotating shaft, wherein a position of the lever is not maintained by a mechanical clutch during normal operation; 
 a fail-safe system for maintaining mechanical friction of the lever in an event of a failure; 
 a sensor identifying a position parameter of the lever; 
 a transmitter transmitting the lever position parameter to a controller, the controller adjusting an aircraft performance device based on the received lever position parameter; and 
 a processor configured to determine a difference between the sensed position parameter of the lever and a predicted position parameter of the lever and, in response to detecting that the difference exceeds a temporal threshold, adjust an aircraft control, wherein the processor disengages an automatic control mode when the difference between the sensed position parameter of the lever and the predicted position parameter of the lever exceeds the temporal threshold. 
 
     
     
       2. The aircraft control system of  claim 1 , wherein the fail-safe system comprises a mechanical torque limiter. 
     
     
       3. The aircraft control system of  claim 2 , wherein the fail-safe system comprises a current sensor and the event of a failure comprises detecting a current reading above an upper threshold or does not exceed a lower threshold. 
     
     
       4. The aircraft control system of  claim 2 , wherein the fail-safe system comprises shear pins and the event of a failure comprises a manual torque on the lever sufficient to break the shear pins. 
     
     
       5. The aircraft control system of  claim 1 , wherein the lever comprises an end with a handle. 
     
     
       6. The aircraft control system of  claim 1 , wherein the lever comprises an end connected to the rotating shaft. 
     
     
       7. The aircraft control system of  claim 6 , wherein the end connected to the rotating shaft comprises the axis of rotation. 
     
     
       8. The aircraft control system of  claim 1 , wherein the motor provides torque on the lever, wherein providing torque on the lever includes resisting the manual operation of the lever and assisting the manual operation of the lever. 
     
     
       9. The aircraft control system of  claim 8 , wherein the motor provides the torque during a non-automatic control mode of the aircraft. 
     
     
       10. The aircraft control system of  claim 8 , wherein the torque is manually adjustable. 
     
     
       11. The aircraft control system of  claim 10 , further comprising a dial, wherein movement of the dial adjusts the torque provided by the motor. 
     
     
       12. The aircraft control system of  claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to adjust the torque applied to the shaft to simulate physical features to mimic a conventional throttle lever. 
     
     
       13. The aircraft control system of  claim 1 , wherein when the difference between the sensed position parameter of the lever and the predicted position parameter of the lever exceeds a threshold indicative of a manual override of the aircraft control system, the processor updates at least one of the predicted position parameter and a target throttle position. 
     
     
       14. The aircraft control system of  claim 1 , wherein the motor is configured to produce an oscillation as the aircraft approaches a performance limit. 
     
     
       15. The aircraft control system of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the motor is a brushless DC motor; and 
 the position parameter comprises at least one of a position of the lever, a velocity of the lever, an acceleration of the lever, and a jerk of the lever. 
 
     
     
       16. The aircraft control system of  claim 15 , wherein the processor determines a difference between the sensed position parameter of the lever and the predicted position parameter of the lever and disengages an automatic control mode when the difference between the sensed position parameter of the lever and the predicted position parameter of the lever exceeds the threshold. 
     
     
       17. The aircraft control system of  claim 16 , wherein the fail-safe system comprises a mechanical torque limiter. 
     
     
       18. The aircraft control system of  claim 17 , wherein the fail-safe system comprises a current sensor and the event of a failure comprises detecting a current reading above an upper threshold or does not exceed a lower threshold. 
     
     
       19. The aircraft control system of  claim 16 , wherein the threshold is a temporal threshold. 
     
     
       20. The aircraft control system of  claim 16 , wherein the threshold is a spatial threshold. 
     
     
       21. The aircraft control system of  claim 16 , wherein when the difference between the sensed position parameter of the lever and the predicted position parameter of the lever exceeds a threshold indicative of a manual override of the aircraft control system, the processor updates at least one of the predicted position and a target throttle position. 
     
     
       22. An aircraft control method comprising:
 connecting a lever to a motor shaft; 
 rotating the motor shaft; 
 maintaining a position of the lever during normal operation without a mechanical clutch; 
 maintaining mechanical friction of the lever in an event of a failure; 
 identifying a position parameter of the lever; 
 transmitting the lever position parameter to a controller; 
 determining a difference between the sensed position parameter of the lever and a predicted position parameter of the lever; 
 adjusting, by the controller, an aircraft performance device based on the received lever position parameter; 
 in response to determining the difference exceeds a temporal threshold, adjusting an aircraft control; and 
 disengaging an automatic control mode when the difference between the sensed position parameter of the lever and the predicted position parameter of the lever exceeds the temporal threshold. 
 
     
     
       23. The aircraft control method of  claim 22 , wherein maintaining the lever with mechanical friction during a failure comprises providing a mechanical torque limiter. 
     
     
       24. The aircraft control method of  claim 23 , further comprising:
 detecting a current reading; and 
 determining a failure when the current reading exceeds an upper threshold or does not exceed a lower threshold. 
 
     
     
       25. The aircraft control method of  claim 23 , wherein the mechanical torque limiter comprises shearing pins configured to break when a sufficient manual torque is applied to the lever. 
     
     
       26. The aircraft control method of  claim 22 , wherein the lever comprises an end with a handle. 
     
     
       27. The aircraft control method of  claim 22 , wherein the lever comprises an end connected to the rotating shaft. 
     
     
       28. The aircraft control method  claim 27 , wherein the end connected to the rotating shaft comprises the axis of rotation. 
     
     
       29. The aircraft control method of  claim 22 , further comprising providing, by the motor, a torque on the lever, wherein providing torque on the lever includes resisting the manual operation of the lever and assisting the manual operation of the lever. 
     
     
       30. The aircraft control method of  claim 29 , wherein providing, by the motor, a torque opposing manual operation of the lever further comprises providing the torque during a non-automatic control mode of the aircraft. 
     
     
       31. The aircraft control method of  claim 29 , further comprising detecting a manual adjustment of the torque. 
     
     
       32. The aircraft control method of  claim 31 , wherein a motor control is connected to a dial and wherein detecting manual adjustment comprises detecting movement of the dial. 
     
     
       33. The aircraft control method of  claim 29 , further comprising adjusting the torque to simulate physical features to mimic a conventional throttle lever. 
     
     
       34. The aircraft control method of  claim 22 , further comprising when the difference between the sensed position parameter of the lever and the predicted position parameter of the lever exceeds a threshold indicative of a manual override of the aircraft control system, updating at least one of the predicted position parameter and a target throttle position. 
     
     
       35. The aircraft control method of  claim 22 , further comprising disengaging an automatic control mode when the difference between the sensed position parameter of the lever and the predicted position parameter of the lever exceeds the threshold, wherein the sensed position parameter is a sensed velocity and the predicted position parameter is a predicted velocity. 
     
     
       36. The aircraft control method of  claim 22 , further comprising disengaging an automatic control mode when the difference between the sensed position parameter of the lever and the predicted position parameter of the lever exceeds the threshold, wherein the sensed position parameter is a sensed acceleration and the predicted position parameter is a predicted acceleration. 
     
     
       37. The aircraft control method of  claim 22 , further comprising disengaging an automatic control mode when the difference between the sensed position parameter of the lever and the predicted position parameter of the lever exceeds the threshold, wherein the sensed position parameter is a sensed jerk and the predicted position parameter is a predicted jerk. 
     
     
       38. The aircraft control method of  claim 22 , further comprising producing a motor oscillation as the aircraft approaches a performance limit.